The Nation Newspaper

Tag: failure

  • Man battles kidney failure

    Man battles kidney failure

    •Patient requires N6.5million for surgery

    Fifty one year old Fatai Olaseni is battling for his life in hospital. He needs N6.5million to undergo kidney transplant at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos.

    His trouble started in 2004 when he developed hypertension, which his family tried to manage. The story changed when he was diagnosed with End Stage Kidney Disease in April.

    Since then, the father of three has been on maintenance haemodialysis.  But he has not been able to meet up with his sessions because of money.

    In tears, he said:”I have spent all my hard-earned money trying to find a cure for the ailment. I have also spent my wife’s pension to defray the medical expenses, including tests, drugs and dialysis.

    “My sister has agreed to be a donor. But I cannot afford to provide the required amount because I don’t even have any income now. I don’t want to lose my hope of living.”

    Dr. E.L Bamgboye, a consultant Transplant Nephrologist at St Nicholas, said Olaseni must undergo renal transplant to live a healthy life again.

    Olaseni said his ailment had stopped him from discharging his responsibility as a father.

    His family is seeking financial support to save his life.

    An account has been opened at the Guaranty Trust Bank(GTB) with No:0010900438 under his name:OLASENI FATAI OLANREWAJU with his phone numbers: 080230322109,08036849989.

  • Mass failure, mass problem

    Mass failure, mass problem

    The May/June 2014 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) result was poor. It was mass failure as 31.28 per cent passed. Last  year, 36.57 per cent passed and in 2012, it was 38.81 per cent, showing a steady decline in the past three years. How can Nigeria wriggle out of this problem? ask ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA (Port Harcourt), DAMISI OJO (Akure), ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE (Kaduna) and NICHOLAS KALU (Calabar).

    IT did not start today. It has been happening for years. But the mass failure in this year’s May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) seemed to touch a raw nerve in many. The cry, nationwide, is why this kind of result again?

    About 529,425 (31.28 per cent) of the 1,692,435 candidates that sat for the examination  made five credits, including Mathematics and English

    Although the West African Examinaions Council (WAEC) claimed Nigerian candidates did better than their counterparts in the sub-region, many believe that the 31.28 per cent pass is nothing to crow about.

    The figure is a slight decline from the 36.57 per cent and 38.81 per cent recorded in 2013 and 2012.

    WAEC Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Charles Eguridu absolved all tiers of government of blame, saying parents are culpable for their children’s performance.

    Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Education are worried over the development. They have vowed to “engage WAEC authorities for an explanation to Nigerians on the abysmal performance of candidates in the examination.”

    The committee’s Chairman  Aminu Suleiman, said he hoped that through such interaction, the committee would know where the problems lie rather than blaming WAEC.

    Speaking last week when the committee visited the National Universities Commission (NUC) as part of its oversight function, he said reversing the perennial failure required concerted efforts.

    Said Suleiman: “Well, it’s quite unfortunate. Incidentally, we will be visiting WAEC  and it will form part of our engagement with the body. But I want to believe that WAEC should not be held solely responsible for this.

    “We wish to go and interact with them (WAEC) and hear from them what is actually responsible for this alarming rate of failure, which was put at about 38 per cent in a percentage of a 100. It is disturbing and totally unacceptable in a country like Nigeria.

    “Whatever it takes, we will do the little we can as government and I believe government has done the best it could; but if there are areas we need to hold government accountable, we will encourage government to do, but where it is the responsibility of those who have to be in charge of the process, we will look at that.”

    But, Eguridu is optimistic, hinging his optimism on the fact that Nigerian candidates performed better than others in the West African examination.

    He said: “Nigerians performed very well comparatively to candidates, especially in Mathematics.” But many Nigerians are not impressed with his submissions.

    Majority of parents, teachers, and other opinion moulders nationwide described the May/June WASCCE as a sign of rot in education. They blamed the mass failure on  pupils’ addiction to the internet, laziness, pupils and parents’ culpability in examination fraud, teachers indifference to work, poor teaching methodology, poor teachers motivation and government’s unwillingness to address the problem among others.

    To Chikere Ordu, a Mathematics teacher at Omuagwa Community Secondary School, Rivers State, technology and other social interactive sites constitute part of the problem.

    Ordu believes that teachers should share less of the blame as their work is to ensure that pupils acquire basic knowledge of the subjects they will take during examination.

    ”Look, in a situation where teachers cry like babies before they receive their salaries, a situation where the government has failed on their own way to provide the necessary teaching aid, then  what would you expect of WASSCE result? We need to go back to the drawing board,” Ordu said.

    School owners, according to her, also have a key role to play.

    “I think teachers have done their best by ensuring that they play their role as teachers; it is now left for school owners or managers to provide the enabling environment, because you cannot expect good result or good performance from students if the environment is not conducive.”

    Mrs. Godknows Ogbulu, Head of Education Desk, Tide said the rot in the education and teachers’ attitude, especially in public schools, may have compounded the WASSCE results.

    ”How many teachers in public schools are ready to teach nowadays?” Mrs Ogbulu asked.

    She added: “Everybody wants to make money without working for it. Teachers are the ones to rouse the children from examination failure, but they are relaxing. Today, a student, who wants to write WASSCE and pass, pays a certain amount of money. As a result, teachers feel it is unnecessary to labour much in imparting knowledge to students.”

    A teacher at the Adeyemi College of Education (ACE), in Ondo, Dr. Zaccheaus Olupayimo, believes everybody is culpable.

    Olupayimo, who is the Head of Department of History, told The Nation that the implication of  the result is that it could kill the dreams of students who hope to use same for admission into tertiary institutions in the 2014/2015 academic session.

    He identified poor infrastructure in public schools and government’s inconsistent policies as two factors largely responsible for the candidates’ dismal performance.   Olupayimo expressed concern over the attitude of some parents towards their children education.

    He urged stakeholders to join the fight against mass failure, saying the government should redouble its efforts at providing  infrastructure and decent learning environment.

    A school principal in Akure, the Ondo State capital, who spoke in confidence, accused students of unseriousness.

    According to him, with the coming of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), most students devote more time to frivolities.

    He tasked parents to monitor their children and ensure they attend to their studies, especially when preparing for major examinations.

    Proprietor of Adeyemo College in Kaduna, Mr. Niyi Adeyemo, argued for more funding of education by the government. He said:

    “From my experience, education is capital intensive and any government that is not able to spend as much as is required will not be able to get the right result. The attention that is being given to education differs from school to school; some give little attention and want to achieve much and when you aggregate the intellect of these children you find that a larger percentage of children, today, do not have the skills that is required of them when you talk of education.

    “When you look at education, the level of demand of an average child in the modern world is far more than what it was in the past. So, the rate of development is slower than what it ought to be. That is why our children find it difficult to meet the capacity of the global world. That is what is perceived as low quality of education, and responsible for the mass failure.”

    Adeyemo berated schools, which tax their pupils’ parents in order to pass examination.

    “For God’s sake, where are we going? They (schools) use the money to bribe supervisors and hire instructors that will help them write answers on the board. A student that is supposed to sit down and write with his own ideas will only be copying answers from the board. But, as God will catch them, some of the instructors they hire cannot even interpret questions correctly; and that is why you see mass failure.”

    Adeyemo implored government to resuscitate the Inspectorate Department of the Ministry of Education and employ people with sound experience to inspect government and private schools.

    “When you talk of examination malpractice, it starts from inspection. Who inspected those schools that are cheating? Who gave them approval? And how many teachers do you see there that are qualified?” he asked.

    “So, the government must go back to the old days and bring back the inspectorate team that has the fear of God to visit both public and private schools unawares, and any school found wanting should be dealt with. If government can start from here, some sanity can be put in place for a start,” Adeyemo stressed.

    A parent and journalist, Alhaji Tajudeen Tijani Ajibade’s argued that military’s incursion into politics started the prevailing education challenges.

    “Unfortunately, the civilian government has followed that (military) direction. Education is not the priority of those in government, today. That was the mindset of the military in those harrowing years. For example, when Prof Rukayyat Rufai (immediate past minister of Education) was in the saddle, she did well. Suddenly, Mr. President woke up one day and replaced her with another person, a politician, who was busy fighting perceived enemies while the ministry under him suffered.

    “Now, we have a teacher, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, as education minister. But, even at that, the circumstance that brought him up appeared to be more political than purely merit. There are people who can be better ministers outside the party. You can play politics with many other ministries, but not education,” said Ajibade.

    He expressed concern over the high coast of WAEC scratch cards. Parents, who have to pay N9000 to enrol their children, will definitely want them to make their papers at a sitting.

    “You can even imagine how much they (pupils) buy WAEC scratch cards. I wrote the first West African Exam in 1967 and what we paid then was seven shillings and six pence. Today, it takes a rich family to enrol its children in these examinations.”

    He stressed the need for the government to go back to the drawing board.  “Those who gave education to people like us did it with their whole heart. Today, a teacher doesn’t get his salary when it is due; even when he gets it, how much is the salary? So, he comes to the class and just marks register and goes out to sell his goods.   “We must also recruit professionals as teachers and pay them good salaries, because they are also aware of what other people are receiving outside,” Ajibade said.

    An  SS 1 pupil in Zamani College, Kaduna, Muhammad Thanni, said poor facilities in most schools affect examination success.

    “I am not surprised with the outcome of the WASSCE, because most of the things we have done at junior level in my school, others have not done it at senior level. In most cases, if you enquire further, you will find out that, most schools, especially government-owned ones, don’t even have the type of facilities we have. So, the implication is that, they will not do things that they ought to do with those facilities,” he said.

    Mr Bob Utsu, a teacher in Community Secondary School, Akpabuyo, said: “It is a very worrisome development, indeed. One of the reasons is the pupils’ attitude towards examinations. Pupils believe so much in the fact that, most times, the WAEC questions leak online. So, in the event that those things are not there or a fake, as they mostly are, they feel frustrated and fail as a result.

    “Again lack of facilities in the school is another problem. Teachers don’t have a conducive environment where they can stay and do their job effectively. Like in the school I teach, we don’t even have a staff room, not to talk of chairs for teachers to sit on.”

    Utsu added: “Parents also have a stake.  Many parents pursue money at the expense of their children’s education. They don’t even bother to look at their children’s books to see their performance; or whether they actually went to school or not. When they come from work, they are tired and have no time for their kids. “

    Another parent, Mr Tony Unor,  said: “We cannot attribute it (examination failure) to only the teachers. Parents, the school and government are all involved. When a teacher is done in school and the child comes back home, he or she is supposed to revise what was taught. But what you find now is that they are browsing irrelevant things on the internet or playing video games and their parents often look the other way.

    “Also the government has a role, too. If you go to some schools, you see students still sitting on the bare floor in this 21st century; so, how do you expect that kind of student to learn very well? The government too must ensure proper infrastructure are in place.”

    David Iso, a school principal in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, is also angry that parents approach teachers or school management on how to bend the rules with respect to examinations.

    “It is really very bad. I would like to place the first blame on parents and this is because, as a principal, I cannot count how many times parents have come to me to see how their children can be assisted to pass examinations. But I always tell them the only way is for their children to study and write their papers and pass. What this means is that the children are not in any way prepared to write their examination. So, when you see outcomes such as this (mass failure), I am not really surprised. How can parents discourage their children from reading in such a manner?

    “The students themselves are no longer studious. I don’t know how; but somehow they have come to get this belief that there is really no need to ‘punish’ themselves by studying for the examination, when answers can be made available to them through dubious means. They just keep money to get answers to the questions; and, more often than not, this fails them. How are they even sure the solutions to the questions given them are even real? I often wonder,” Iso said.

  • Counselling ‘can solve Maths failure’

    THE Women in Technical Education and Development (WITED), has recommended counselling to address pupils’ phobia for mathematics.

    The group also suggested enlightenment campaigns in allaying the fear of the subject and sciences.

    Its President, Mrs. Osiki Francis, told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at the association’s national coordinating committee (NCC) meeting, that there is no reason to fear the subjects.

    “Fear already defeats the individual even before he confronts the problem. That is why self defeatist attitude should be addressed through counseling. We need public enlightenment campaigns. Information is key to allaying fear of mathematics and sciences,” she said.

    WITED’s call follows mass failure in mathematics in the West African Senior Schoor Certificate Examination released by West African Examination Council (WAEC) last week.

    On the challenges facing women taking up mathematics and technical education courses, Francis said: “The challenges varied. It could be socio-cultural. There are some places where women are to be seen and not heard. They just have to be in the kitchen, but that concept is changing. Although, fundamentally, our place is in the kitchen; another is religious factor and so on.”

    WITED, she said, was borne out of the desire to encourage girl child, who have the God-given flair to appreciate mathematics, science and technical courses.

    Said she: “For meaningful national development, the female folks that constitute about half of the population of Nigeria should not be left behind.

    “Government can encourage girl child to take up mathematics and technical courses by giving scholarships and awards to those excelling in these subjects. Besides, science laboratories should be well equipped, science and mathematics teachers should also be encouraged, because when they are happy they will be at their best in their works and the students will do well.

    “Parents’ roles cannot be overemphasised. They are the starting point of the life of the child. Parents should be enlightened as they have the right attitude to the girl child in pursing these subject areas.

    “Women, who have the ability, are being encouraged to come on board. There should be no force, no coercion. It is those that fit into the programme that are encouraged to come on board.

    “Our approach is to go to the primary and secondary schools to sensitise the girl child that she should have no phobia for courses such as mathematics, sciences and engineering. The grassroot is our first target, from there we will move to the traditional rulers, who are the custodians of culture, to pass the message to their subjects and allay fears of mathematics and technical subjects.”

  • The fear of failure

    Many believe that the fear of failure is why students study in classrooms at night. Does this hold true for students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN)? TOYIN ALI (200-Level Law) writes.

    After hours of lectures and class work, many students are usually tired and return to their hostels to relax. While relaxing, some doze off without revising what they learnt in class earlier in the day.

    Others, after eating, return to the classroom to read and revise classwork. Yet, some others play all night.

    For students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), the fear of failure is the beginning of wisdom. Whether at night  or  during the day, it is not unusual to see students reading in classrooms. Some move to the most silent spot in the school library, while others prefer corners of classrooms and open spaces.

    Determined to get a good grade, Taiwo Olatunbosun, a 200-Level Law student keeps vigils in lecture theatres. For him, a vibrant legal practitioner must be well read and be abreast of important cases. Taiwo planned his schedule when the semester started and keeps faith with it till.

    “I believe reading all the time is the best way to achieve academic success. This is why I planned my schedule ahead of school timetable,” he said.

    Students who believe that academic excellence is not without sacrifices flock to the classroom to burn the proverbial midnight oil. At UNILORIN, academic activities begin at night. Lecture rooms are jam-packed with students attending tutorials.

    From the University Park, students move in large number to the academic blocks for night reading. To them, it is the best way to prepare for examinations.

    However, it is not all students reading overnight that are there for the business. Some are there to cause distraction; others it is to merry.

    The academic engagement of Abdulmumeen Abdullah, a 500-Level Engineering student, is  triangular in pattern. “I go for lectures and come back to my hostel, and then return to night class, this is the best way to keep up with my dream,” he said.

    Abdulazeem Ologuntere, a first year student, said: “I have been given orientatation before I gained admission that night class is key to academic success. Even on my first day on the campus, I was in night class to read even though we had never been thought anything then. I want to make it a habit, so that I won’t have cause to read for another entrance exam.”

    The Students’ Union Building is not also left out; students sit at comfort spots to read. The edifice has a well-furnished basement and common room with good seats. The spot also serves as a night joint for fun seekers on campus.

     

  • Student loses kidney failure battle

    Student loses kidney failure battle

    He was in Abuja to perfect his plans to travel to India for a kidney transplant. But, Zakariyyah Abiodun Olowo, a 300-Level Law student of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) could not make the trip. He died before he could obtain a visa, reports HABEEB WHYTE (Nigerian Law School, Abuja)

    What happened to him? This was the question Law students of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) were asking when news of the death of Zakariyyah Abiodun Olowo hit the campus.

    Zakariyyah, a 300-Level Law student, was in Abuja to obtain Indian visa for medical trip. Unknown to many of his classmates and friends, Zakariyyah had been battling kidney failure.

    He planned to travel to India for transplant, but he died while trying to get the travel documents. His death disrupted activities at the Faculty of Law because Zakariyyah was the best student in his class. He was also a member of several students’ associations.

    He had just been elected president of the UNILORIN chapter of the Union of Campus Journalists (UCJ). He was the Organising Secretary of the National Association of Muslim Law Students (NAMLAS) and a member of Law Students’ Society (LSS) Judicial Council.

    “I saw him last week,” a student screamed as the deceased’s colleagues gathered to mourn last Friday. Many were in tears; some wore pensive looks, asking why such fate befell their colleague.

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the late student was disgnosed of the ailment months ago and had been managing it, pending the end of the session when he would travel abroad for proper attention. When he could not cope again, he took excuse to abandon the second semester examination to enable him travel. It was learnt that the late Zakariyyah had already written two papers when his health deteriorated. He was in UNILORIN Teaching Hospital for a while before he left for Abuja.

    His body was brought to Ilorin for burial. As the corpse was being awaited, members of the Law Students’ Society and UCJ gathered at the UNILORIN Bus Terminus at Tipper Garage area to attend the funeral in group. They left for the deceased’s family house in Adewole area of Ilorin to condole with the Olowos, from where they went to the cemetery in the university’s Marcopolo bus.

    After Asri (late afternoon worship), the students left in group to Ilorin Muslim Cemetery for the interment.

    The cemetery was besieged by students. At exactly 6pm, a Toyota Sienna bus brought the remains to the cemetery. The body was taken into a building in the graveyard for spiritual bath. Afterwards, Janazah (funeral) prayers were said.

    Students fought back tears as the body was being lowered into the grave. It was an emotional ceremony attended by sub-Dean, Students’ Affairs, Dr Yusuff Abdulraheem, Dean of Law Faculty, Dr Yusuff Arowosaiye, his deputy, Dr Bashir Omipidan, Head of Property Law Department, Dr Hakeem Ijaiya and ex-president of UCJ, Barrister Mohammed Alabi, among others.

    Titilope Anifowoshe, his classmate and Vice President-elect of the Students’ Union Government, described the late Zakariyyah as a “very good friend”. She said his brilliance and writing skills stood him out of many. “Zakariyyah was particularly nice to friends in need. He gave his best in everything he did and always helped the sick. He was also an entrepreneur,” she said.

    Alabi described Zakariyyah’s death as a personal loss. He said: “I only had glowing memory of him. His scholarship, writing skill and above all, his being a devoted Muslim. May Allah grant him eternal rest and give his distraught family the fortitude to bear this obviously irreparable loss.”

    Nurudeen Olalekan, his classmate, said he was still in shock. “Members of NAMLAS visited him at his hostel in Adeta area a week before his death, where we made an appeal to his family to fast-track the medical trip abroad. We did not know it would be the last time we would see him alive,” he said.

    Zakariyyah’s deputy in UCJ, Kayode Nissi, described him as a “great colleague and classmate”.

    Wale Bakare, graduating student of Zoology, who should have handed over to the deceased as UCJ president, said Zakariyyah’s death was “very painful”.

    Adam Muhammed, a 400-Level law student, said the deceased was a campus activist. He said: “Fighting the cause of justice and using the pen for advocacy was his way. His latest advocacy was the condemnation of engineering students, who held dinner party after one of their colleagues died. The late Zakariyyah wrote a three-page article criticising engineering student for not having respect for the dead. He earned my respect for this singular act but little did he know that his own time was around the corner.”

    The late Zakariyyah was his parents’ first child. He was in his early 20s and best student in his class.

     

  • The failure of a people

    It is with great anguish and heavyheartedness I’m penning down this article on the yet to be rescued abducted teenage Chibok girls. As a parent and a Nigerian, a human, it is difficult for one not to feel a profound sense of responsibility in voicing out ones melancholy and distress over the thus far unconvincing developments at all levels in the country, pertaining to the rescue or freedom for the kidnapped Chibok girls. About a fortnight ago, Nigeria was yet again hit with the dreadful news of the abduction of teenage girls from their secondary school in Chibok, Borno State, less than 24-hours after the massive dastardly Nyanya bombing that took the lives of over 75 innocent Nigerians who were going about their daily activities in the early hours of the morning. The girls; about 230 of them and mostly young teenagers were rounded up at gunpoint after alleged militants overpowered a military guard assigned to a boarding school in Chibok. They were preparing for their final school exams. This has got to be a completely new low for a nation fiercely battling to get one breath of air. Of course, there is no one that has not been deeply disturbed and tortured by this tragic affair. Of course, there have been mumbles here, and mumbles there; the odd statement from this corner, another one from that corner. Private discussions and lamentations at the highest level as to what can and should be done has taken place. There seems to be a great bewilderment and confusion as to what can be done. But the truth is there is not one Nigerian who has not profusely failed in this instance! We have failed as a people in the most disgusting and pathetic manner. At this point, when I remember the faces of the parents of those little girls and as I sit here writing this piece, haunted by the faces of those girls, there is not one bone in my body that is not ashamed to call myself a Nigerian today! Why should I sit here in Nigeria and be bombarded by the American disgust with the racist views of an American bigot via the world media because it is important to the history and evolution of America, and not tell America that my own children have just been kidnaped; allegedly violated in the most deplorable manner via the same media. If there is one incidence that should have united us with a single voice, it is the tragedy of the Chibok girls. What have we done so far to tell the world in the most critical manner that the Chibok tragedy is not acceptable? We speak about this being the government’s responsibility. There is no doubt that it is the responsibility of our government. But for me, as a Nigerian, it goes beyond that, it is my responsibility too. In saner climes, which has not abandoned its conscience, all hands would be on deck, regardless of government inefficiency and security agencies ineptitude, for a concerted effort in ensuring that there is the required amount of pressure on those at the helm of affairs who are responsible for bringing back our girls safely. Was that not what we did when the issue of the fuel subsidy reared its head? We stood as one and told the government what we were willing to accept and what we would not accept. Is the increase of fuel subsidy more important than the safety of our children now? During the 2011 “occupy Nigeria protest”, irrespective of party affiliation, and religious and ethnic differences, the government was practically shut down and was forced to review the demands of Nigerians. We all stood with one voice, simultaneously replicating such protests nationwide. Why haven’t we, as a people, demonstrated and replicated such unity, cohesiveness, patriotism or just humanity in this instance? There is a saying in the Hausa language that goes, “the pain of one person’s daughter is the same as the pain of another person’s daughter”. This is true. We may not all be the parents and children in this particular incident, but the truth is that this incident has a direct effect and a very dangerous implication on each and every one of us. There is not one of us out there; not one, that is not someone’s parent or someone’s child. So, whether we like it or not, this tragedy is each of us and each of us is this tragedy. While we go about our normal daily activities, lamenting about this issue privately, we are setting an extremely dangerous precedent. If we allow this incident to fade away, we continue to break down our inhibitions and just like kidnapping and robbery; we are breathing life into another abomination that has no place in any society. If we turn a blind eye, we are giving this depraved transgression an identity. There has just not been enough public outcries over the tragedy of the Chibok girls. Where are the voices of Muslim rights groups? We call ourselves righteous, but where is our voice when it really needs to be heard? Is it only when we are wrongly stereotyped that we lend our voices? Why the silence and pretense that there is not an issue that needs to urgently be addressed amongst us? Where is the voice of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN)? One would expect that they should ordinarily be vociferous in this instance as they have always retrospectively been during other terrorist acts. Where are the women rights groups? Is it only when top female public officials are to be probed for corrupt practices that they lend their voices in crying foul and playing the gender card? Where are the voices of women groups in the North? Is it only in cases such as the banning of Hijab’s in public schools in Lagos that they muster or elicit public outcry? Where is the voice of the National Association of Nigerian Students? Are our girls in Chibok not also Nigerian students? Where are the voice of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and its sister body ASUP, should they be only concerned with “saving the University system” and increments of their remunerations? Where are the myriad of Civil Society/Pressure Groups across the length and breadth of the country? Are they not supposed to be engaging and compelling the government on a regular basis in ensuring that they resolutely bring back our girls safely? Where is the voice of our regional elders? Is it only on matters concerning resource control that they are interested in? Where is the voice of the National Assembly? A special round-theclock- committee should have been set-up solely for our missing girls, liaising with the executive and security outfits, vociferously championing and canvassing for the safe return of our missing girls. Where is the voice of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC)? Is it only when it involves the increment in P.M.S or subsidy removal that they become more active and activists? Where is the voice of columnist of the various media houses we have in the country? As I write this, I feel like a hypocrite because it has taken me over two weeks to speak out, despite the fact that I am a mother myself. I have the audacity to spew my venom and criticize others in my weekly column, but I didn’t have the courage or the benevolence to speak out loudly before now. Other columnists and bloggers can write as if there was no tomorrow but have failed to bring enough moving and arousing articles and op-eds capable of enkindling emotions amongst Nigerians, demanding for the safe rescue of our girls. Where is the voice of our traditional rulers? Where are the voices of the plethora of NGOs scattered across the country? Where are the voices of Nigerians in the Diaspora? Where is the voice of the Nigerian? These are voices needed now more than ever before. There must be a consorted and unending effort to safely bring back our girls. Point blank and period! Rather than snippets of protests, there needs to be a synchronized and simultaneous peaceful protest nationwide, demanding for prompt action in bringing back our girls safely. As we continue to exist, we must all remember that these abducted girls could be any of our daughters. She could be your sister, your niece, your cousin or your grand-daughter. She could be a distant relative of yours or a friend of your child. Anyone of us could be undergoing the pains and sorrow actual parents and guardians of the Chibok girls are going through right now. If you have done nothing, look to your conscience and earnestly ask yourself, why you have not attempted to or be involved in a collective cohesive nationwide effort and public outcry for the safe rescue and return of these girls in even the smallest way. We should all be ashamed and disgusted with ourselves. And as for the media; for the past 2-weeks after the abductions, the media has not been able to whip-up enough public sentiments and vociferation against the abduction and government’s incompetence in ensuring or assuring us that our girls would be rescued and brought back safely. From print and visual, the media should concentrate on major developments pertaining to rescue efforts the government has failed to carry-out so far. What should be on our screens, papers and websites consistently should be the call to rescue our girls from the hands of these dastardly vagabonds. Round-the-clock programmes and forums should be organized and designed, solely discussing and sensitizing the populace on possible peaceful steps and measures to take as a people, so as to ensure that the government is compelled to bring our girls back safely. It’s obvious that the lackluster response from all of the above comes down to fear. The action of this rabid collective is something that we have never seen before. Nobody is willing to be identified as the loudest and leading voice. While it is understandable, it is also unacceptable. There must be a voice. And that voice must be one voice; the voice of humanity, the voice of unity and the voice that will again speak out to say “enough is enough!” The voice should find its courage and involve a committed citizenry — every man, woman, and child, every religious and traditional ruler, political parties and politicians, civil servants, professionals and entrepreneurs, religious institutions, civil society groups, nongovernmental organizations, elder statesmen and former leaders — in a vociferous concerted effort, regardless of religious or ethnic differences and political party affiliation, compelling and demanding that the government and our security apparatus should do all it takes to bring safely back home our girls. As I pray for the return of our girls and I offer my voice, my pen and myself for this cause, I bow my head in utter self-disgust and shame and admit that I have failed those little girls and their parents… And so have YOU!

  • Poverty no excuse for failure, pupils told

    Poverty no excuse for failure, pupils told

    With an education, determination and a love for books, even pupils from underprivileged backgrounds can get to any height of career achievement.

    That was one of the vital lessons pupils of Eric Moore Senior High School, Surulere, Lagos learnt when ‘Beyond the School’, a career counselling initiative of the Nigerian Breweries Plc, passed through their school.

    Poverty, they were told by the project’s coordinator, Mrs. Clementine Vervelde, was no reason not to excel in life.

    It was her response to a question from one of them, who wanted to know how a young person whose socio-economic background limits the availability of funds for food, clothing and other life’s essentials could choose a good career.

    Telling her life’s story, the SS1-SS3 pupils learnt how a poor Rwandan girl was able to grow into a professional who could speak five languages because of her ability to dream and read.

    She said their access to education was already a foundation on which they could build successful careers, urging them to add imagination and determination to it.

    “You have to believe in yourself and dream big. The fact that you are already in school is a first step that you are capable to achieve anything. In Africa, we always use poverty as an excuse for our situation, but we know of great people who, despite their poverty, were able to achieve great things.

    “When a child is born, he or she does not have a choice of a mother or father. But that child has a right to education. I was born in a small village in Rwanda, but even as a little girl I dreamt. My first dream was to see children in Africa believe in themselves and be able to change the world,” she said.

    She also told them her secret to success was through books she read from an early age. She said the ‘Beyond the School’ initiative was initiated to address the poor reading culture of Africans through book donations to schools so that pupils from any background can read and be serious about excelling right from their youth.

    Mrs Vervelde said: “The challenge we have in Africa is reading. Through this initiative, we also give books to schools. But as students, you must also play your role. Instead of fighting on the streets, get together with your peers, interact and share information. You have to love yourself and feel you are good enough. Each of us has our unique quality so explore it.”

    To succeed in their careers, Mrs Vervelde counselled the pupils to choose careers because of fulfilment, and not just to make money. She also advised them to choose subjects that are relevant to their careers and ensure they have interest in them.

    “Career decision making for students like you is important because at this stage, you are developing and the choices you make may drastically affect not only you but your family and friends,” She added.

    Speaking at event, the Corporate Affairs Adviser, NB Plc, Mr. Kufre Ekanem said the ‘Beyond the School’ is gaining ground because of its impact on pupils in the schools visited so far.

    “We have come to show the students what they need to do to realise their dreams. This is the fifth school under this project and this is because of the feedback and positive response the programme has received so far. This is part of the NB winning with Nigeria vision. We have also built and renovated facilities in schools and we are committed to giving students the right guidance they need to succeed in life,” he said.

    From Eric Moore, the NB Plc train moved to impact pupils of another school, Igbobi College, this time, through the renovation of their senior block.

     

     

    The two-storey classroom block in question was the first to be built in the school in —–.

    The rehabilitation was done in collaboration with the 1974-1976 set of the Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA).

    Speaking at the inauguration, the Managing Director, Mr. Nico Vervelde, represented by the Human Resource Director and an old boy of the school, Mr. Victor Famuyibo, said the renovation was undertaken through the NB/ Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund (ETF) and included the refurbishment of classrooms and library, replacement of roof, floors, doors, windows and donation of books.

     

  • ‘Oil firms are paying for govt’s failure’

    It is hell for companies operating in the oil-producing areas because they have a lot of demands to contend with from their host communities. Why is this so? A law teacher at Afe Babalola University in Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Patrick Tolani , blames it on the failure of government. Tolani, the Executive Director, Institute for Oil, Gas, Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Law (OGEES) of ABUAD’s College of Law, also tells Adegunle Olugbamila, in this interview, that the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is not in the country’s best interest.

     

    What is wrong with the existing oil and gas laws? Will the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) address the shortcomings in the sector?

    First, I think I should talk about the PIB. In terms of framework, it’s amazing. For the first time, the government is bringing together every law in the petroleum industry into one. Whatever you are, you can actually pick a particular legislation that addresses all the issues in the industry. It is sad that the bill has taken nearly 10 years since it was drafted. We started in 2008. The bill has stayed too long. When it becomes law, there are areas it will address.

    One of such is that it gives room for more local oil companies to be involved in acreages on the fields that are unused for now. The international oil companies have some oil fields they are not exploring, or producing oil from, and that is not good for the country. So, the government thinks it’s good to take some of those fields and give them to local companies.

    Another good thing about it is the 10 per cent profit of every oil company that is supposed to go into the development of local communities.

    What is the perception of foreign firms about the PIB?

    They feel the new bill is unrealistic and punitive. Their view is that the new regime under the PIB would be more punitive. When you ask for excessive tax, you create an opportunity for people to evade tax. My opinion is to allow the National Assembly, government and oil companies to sit down and find the way forward because, at the end of the day, Nigeria will be the loser for it. More of the companies may continue to reduce their portfolio. Now, most of them are doing head cut and divesting and selling their fields daily. While the PIB is good for local oil companies, the truth is, it’s not in the best interest of the country.

    Kidnappings and pipeline vandalism seem to be rearing their ugly heads again in the oil-producing communities, despite the amnesty programme. What is the cause?

    The communities, unfortunately, don’t know government. As far as they are concerned, the government is in Abuja. But since they cannot lay hands on the government, they vent their grievances on the facilities of oil companies in their areas; and that is why they expect oil companies to build schools, provide roads, pay them, build houses and do other things for them. But the reality is that oil companies cannot replace the government.

    The failure of the government is visited on oil facilities almost daily and this is not good for the economy and business. Government must sit up and face its responsibilities. It must become more transparent and reduce, if it cannot eliminate, corruption. Above all, it must do tangible things for the oil communities. It is inequitable for the communities not to enjoy the good things of life.

    But the impression in many quarters is that the multinationals are not doing enough of corporate social responsibility.

    There is a misconception here! Corporate social responsibility is not a legal obligation. It is an act of charity. But what the communities are saying is that the oil companies should take over the role of the government.

    What would you proffer as the permanent solution to this?

    OGEES has designed two initiatives to tackle this problem. The first is the Niger Delta Participatory Development Framework (PDF), which should build on the success of the GMoU concept of Shell and the Multi-Agency Monitoring Consorting (MOMC), conceived to be an independent information hotline.

    OGEES is also planning to convene the first edition of its Sustainable Development Discussion Forum (SDDF), where topical issues affecting the oil industry will be discussed and solutions to the seemingly intractable problems facing the industry proffered. Oil theft will have to be addressed at the parley, which will hold next quarter of this year.

    With the happenings in the region, you’ll realise that things have fallen apart. The communities must talk to oil companies, oil companies must talk to the government. Other stakeholders must sit down and look for solutions to the problems. Dictating solution and different programmes from Abuja will not help anybody. From OMPADEC, to Niger Delta Development Commission to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, people are not interested in those offices; they are interested in changes to their lives.

    To evolve changes, there must be solution that comes from the bottom to the top. If that does not happen, I hope we don’t close the chapter by saying: “There was oil in the country.” We are losing a minimum of 200,000 to 300,000 barrels of oil to illegal bunkering daily. Whenever there is force majeure, we lose a minimum of 150,000 oil barrels a day. The truth is that our leaders probably don’t understand the implication of this. I hope the country does not go bankrupt.

    How would you appraise the level of oil spillage in the creeks by vandals?

    Crude theft and vandalism of our pipelines have forced oil companies, notably, Shell Petroleum Production Company to declare force majeure at least three times this year alone. On each occasion, about 150,000 barrels of oil was shut-in to prevent further spill and save the environment from the devastating effect of such occurrences.

    What this means is that the companies would have to spend millions of naira on investigation, deploy money and men to mend the vandalised pipelines and also carry out remediation operations which are not by any means cheap. Furthermore, as a nation, we send wrong signals to our trading partners about our capability to meet our supply obligations. That is not in the best interest of the country and the economy, at a time when we should be seeking loyal trading partners who would stick to us in the face of competing sources of supply. Furthermore, the regular shut-in of crude oil by major oil companies, is really hurting the economy.

    Our findings have confirmed that the oil theft is no longer being carried out by pockets of hungry hoodlums in the communities; but has actually been taken over by powerful cartels who operate with all the sophistication of well-organised outfits. Unfortunately, still, our oil is in high demand by countries that are taking advantage of the porosity of our security arrangement to benefit from our oil resources illegally. This is a national shame that must be addressed.

    Worst still, the oil producing communities are faced with the dilemma regarding who to support in the face of poverty and employment. On the one hand, they show no sympathy to the government and to the oil companies whom they accuse of many years of pillaging their land and resources without any demonstrable benefit to them. On the other hand, their health and livelihoods are endangered due to the high level of pollution taking place on their land.

    Efforts aimed at addressing the power problem appear to be unsuccessful, as more industries relocate into neighbouring countries where power is relatively more stable. What’s the way out?

    In my own opinion, we do not have a sustainable strategy that can make us get things right. All the billions spent in the power sector were not based on proper strategy that can deliver results. And when all you do is fire brigade approach, you can get pockets of success here and there, but you cannot be really successful. Anytime we have a government that can develop a proper strategy with proper funding, I can assure you, we will achieve results. But for now, I’ve not seen any in place, and that is why we keep spending money and not getting results. If we have a strategy that every President will be committed to, I believe we will be getting somewhere.

    Sometimes I wonder how companies make profit with the amount of money spent on power? You go to hotels where they run the generator from 6pm-6am, and if power doesn’t come, they continue with the generator for the whole day even if there is only one guest in the entire hotel. So, I’m not surprised that industries move to other countries, but that is the reality.

    But it seems this lack of strategy you talk about cuts across all sectors.

    You are right. It is also the same in the area of security. Now tell me, which area have we fared better? Health, education, industry just name it? The fact is that we talk, but we don’t put our money where our mouth is. We need to ask ourselves, do we need a strategy on renewable energy? Yes, we may have, but ask those people that the government has put in the council the level of government’s funding, and it’s nil. Do we want to promote solar energy? We have sun in this country. We can do windmill, but we are not focused and we are losing so much in this country.

    How does OGEES intend to contribute its share towards the fight against corruption?

    At OGEES, we will use our four mandate areas – research, training, consultancy and publication, to enlighten people on how corruption can be reduced. Though fighting corruption is not why we are set up, as an academic body, OGEES cannot afford to shy away from this national tragedy.

    The truth is: we are not asking questions from our leaders. I feel so sad when I hear some people say, ‘you disrespect the President,’ there’s nothing about the President of Nigeria that cannot deliver anything to the people of Nigeria. As a leader, you earn respect of Nigerians when you can deliver the dividends. Interestingly, the Nigerias are not asking for too much. They are only saying give us roads, good schools for our children, water, and accommodation, and the rest will fall into place.

    Nigerians appear to be poor managers of electricity. How can your institute shape their attitude to ensure efficient energy management?

    There is a lot of systemic problems starting from the ways we are billed, and until we are able to face that challenge, there will continue to be wastage. From NEPA to PHCN, these companies just allocate figures, except for the few people that use prepaid cards. And then the light hardly ever comes. I’ve heard people say: “Whether I switch off my electricity or not, PHCN will still bring the same electricity bill anyway.”

    Aside, we as Nigerians have this ‘it-does-not-belong-to-me’ attitude. We tend to be reckless in our use of light because of this mindset that it belongs to the government. This poor management of power by Nigerians is not only hurting them, but also the environment. What we need is a wholesale national orientation because these are habits and they die very hard.

     

     

  • Sultan: leadership failure responsible for Nigeria’s stagnation

    The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), Alhaji Mohammad Sa’ad Abubakar said yesterday Nigeria has stagnated because its leaders have refused to make things work.

    Also, Kaduna State Governor Mukthar Ramalan Yero urged Islamic scholars to refrain from using the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to cast aspersion on people without proper investigation.

    Both personalities spoke at a national conference on the role of Muslim scholars in fostering unity, peace and security in Nigeria. The event was organised by JNI.

    The Sultan said the nation cannot move forward when leaders are made to believe that they are always right.

    He said: “We cannot move forward when we tell a leader that he is always right. No leader is always right in this circumstance. So many things have gone wrong in this country, and they are still going wrong. So many things are not working because the leaders refuse to allow them to work.”

    Abubakar noted that the Muslim world was facing daunting challenges, adding: “We are very aware, just like any other people across the world, of the challenges facing us as Muslims, not only in Nigeria. We believe somebody somewhere is pulling the strings.”

    The Sultan, who is the Co-Chairman of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, also said: “We will not allow anybody to stop us from being Muslims because that is what God brought to us; that is what we chose to be. We will not allow anybody to turn our lives upside down…”

  • Board failure cause of banks’collapse, says Dozie

    Board failure cause of banks’collapse, says Dozie

    THE founder of Diamond Bank, Dr Pascal Dozie, has said the spate of banking failures in the country in the past was a reflection of the failure of the board of the banks.

    Dozie, who is Chairman of MTN Nigeria, spoke at a Stakeholders’ consultative forum on guidelines for corporate governance in the telecommunications industry organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    It has as theme Board leadership and governance.

    He said people who take board’s appointment should see such opportunity as a “sacred call to service.”

    He stressed that being a director is not a tea party.

    According to him, directors must see themselves as playing pivotal roles in the success of the company, arguing that should things go wrong, the board should be held responsible. This, he said, is because the board performs oversight functions in the company.

    He said the Company and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) states how a board should be constituted, adding that it is the duty of the board to appoint one among its members to serve as its chairman.

    Dozie said the chairman has a great role to play as he has the onerous task of motivating the board and ensuring that decisions are implemented because time is a scarce resource.

    He said the leadership of the board of any company is a sine qua non to its success as it determines whether the company swims or sinks.

    He added that if a chairman becomes too “autocratic to the chagrin of the directors,” voting him out becomes an open option.

    He said for effective communication, it is imperative that the chief executive officer of companies remain part of the board, adding that the helmsman would not have an excuse not to implement policies agreed upon at the management level.

    On the level of compliance with corporate governance in the country, he said it would be difficult to assess, adding that the big firms were complying.

    He, however, said it does not necessarily have to be corporate governance, insisting that all that is needed to be done is to follow the provisions of CAMA by managing the companies well and avoiding promoting people through looking ethnicity or nepotism.